Safe Speed Forums

We've all thought that the number of traffic cops was decreasing, but the truth was revealed in a parlimentary answer yesterday:

Number of traffic police
1998-99: 7,525
1999-2000: 7,238
2000-01: 7,005
2002-03: 6,902
2003-04: 6,706
2004-05: 7,104
2005-06: 6,511

Something of a trend, perhaps ... except a rather strange blip in 2004-5?

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 4w0027.htm

The numbers reported by the various forces may fluctuate. But the true role of the "Traffic Police" is being constantly rewritten.

Instead of just being traffic officers dealing with road offenses. They have become traffic officers until we need them for something else.

I think it is similar to the industry I work in. Preventive Maintenance used to be the watch word. Preventing the fault (crime ) happening gave better results over all but was hard to measure.

Now it is all about reactive measures, time to fix, the fault (catch the criminal). It gives a nice number to present. But overall poorer performance.

I suspect the problem may be worse than that. I bet there are jobs included on the current figures that would not have been in the original total as job descriptions and functions change.

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Speed camera policy Kills

If the figures are right, then where are they all?

I tend to agree that the Government would have simply changed the basis of calculation of the numbers rather than actually maintaining traffic officers. This is what they do to prove almost any of their policies are working.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

i cant reveal my source but i know that one force had has some serious problems arise due to the reduction in officers right across the board, not just traffic. in the old days, a probationary officer would be sent out with a dedicated tutor from the front line but now it is common for a new probationary to go out with another probationary with only a month or so more experience.

i wont disclose other problems but it is clear that the quality is dropping as a direct result of a lack of manpower and mismanagement (part of the reason that retention problems are on the rise)

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Richie

SSAFA supporter
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this is really surprising, i would have thought from what members have said traffic police are an endangered species

To make real sense of those figures, I guess we need to see the total numbers of officers for that year so we have the number as a percentage of the workforce.

As you don't see many then I suppose they are an endangered species. Especially as they seem to be replaced in their native environment by the introduced HATO's who are competing with them

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Prepare to be Judged

When you think they’ll end up replacing the police, I don’t think there’s much competition doing the same job for half the price.

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

Recent piece ( on here/PH ??) compared prices when training, nice new 4x4,hierarchy, office space,comms et all taken into account - turned out their calculations showed the police cost more, but not by much.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

strange, where I live (Milton Keynes) you hardly see any traffic police during the week, but if you park up in the Hockey Stadium anytime after 7.30pm on a Sunday then you'll see a handful, anything from 4 up to 6 cars.

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www.cruise-evo.co.uk - modified and performance car community for Milton Keynes